The best pregnancy tips ever

We've pinned down the best tips in town to help you glow while coping with the demands of motherhood

08 APRIL 2010

If they’re not announcing pregnancies, like Dannii Minogue, they’re busy being new mums in celeb land lately.

So we asked one of our favourite make-up artists, Chase Aston, who is chief beauty guru at The Body Shop, how he’d advise his celebrity clients in maintaining that glowing exterior through 24-hour nappy duty.

• As the body prioritises its resources over to the baby during pregnancy, and also while breastfeeding, skin can become really dry. Chase says vitamin E oil – not cream, which is too thick to be absorbed as efficiently and also holds in odour – is great for replenishing patchy skin, hydrating areas prone to stretch marks and also on flaky nails. It also helps heal the skin so may be useful for C-section scars. Try The Body Shop’s.

• Skin loses luminosity after childbirth, not least because of the strain the body’s endured and, of course, tiredness. Chase recommends avoiding oil-free foundations which can make skin look extra dry and powder, too. Instead, go for tinted moisturisers which add colour and sheen and can be applied without a mirror when you’re short of time.

• Exhaustion shows up most around the delicate skin around the eye area. Chase uses highlighter pens (try The Body Shop’s Lightening Touch) to lighten and brighten with their light-reflecting particles for extra luminosity. Dot into the inner corner of the upper and lower lid, in the centre and on the outer corner. Wait for the liquid to dry a little then pat the dots together. Chase says the formulations of highlighter liquids are so light, you can continue layering until you get the coverage you’re looking for.

• “Treat yourself to a mani and pedi if you can,” Chase advises. “They’ll give you a real boost and will make you feel and look polished even if you’re a bit raggedy around the edges elsewhere. And you probably can’t reach your feet yourself anyway if you’re heavily pregnant. Get your brows and lashes tinted, too. That’ll be a couple of areas less to worry about when you’re short of time.”

• And one of our favourite tips ever... Chase says it’s best to avoid matte lipsticks and pencils on skin that’s looking already drab. But that doesn’t mean avoiding your favourite colours, because you can make your own lip balm that’s easy to slick on and bring colour to your face. Mix equal parts of your lipstick and Vaseline in a microwaveable pot in the microwave for two seconds, swirl together so they’re perfectly blended and then stick in the fridge to set. You could even experiment with a drop of almond oil in the mix for a super-moisturising bespoke balm.